Last Updated on December 12, 2022
This article covers information about the top 10 best public schools in England.
Are you thinking of sending your kids to the UK for a British education? Unlike in America, Britain calls their private schools “public”, whereas non-fee paying institutions are referred to as “state schools” or “comprehensives”. Below, we’ve shortlisted some of the best British public schools with incredible educational standards and high-class facilities for you to consider:
1. Benenden School
- Ages: 11-18
- Registration: Three to four years before entry
- No. of Pupils: 550
- Admissions: Admissions: The ISEB (Independent Schools Education Board) Common Pre-tests and the school’s own exam, plus interview and previous school reports.
- Curriculum: GCSE and A-Levels, with a highly innovative, inquiry-based approach to learning. Benenden’s Professional Skills Programme, launched in 2016, teaches Sixth Formers essential business, financial and life skills, while the Benenden Diploma is a two-year bespoke curriculum for the Fourth and Upper Fourth. The curriculum is complemented by high-profile speakers and workshops held by expert guests. In addition, Benenden’s co-curricular programme includes over 150 activities.
- Campus and facilities: Benenden occupies 100 hectares of beautiful parkland in the middle of Kent. Some of the impressive facilities include a state-of-the-art Science Centre, a 300-seat theatre, and a new all-weather sports pitch and pavilion.
- Noteworthy: Benenden was founded in 1923 and is regarded as one of the top all-girls’ schools in the country.
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2. Charterhouse
- Ages: 13-18
- Registration: The deadline to register for the 2023 school year is September 30, 2021, or September 20, 2022 for the 2024 school year. The pre-test takes place sometime in October or November. Contact the admissions team at admissions@charterhouse.org.uk for more details.
- No. of Pupils: 800
- Admissions: The ISEB Common Pre-tests plus the school’s own assessment and an interview. Students applying from Hong Kong and mainland China are advised to contact Academic Asia (www.academic-asia.com) for guidance.
- Curriculum: Under School: (I)GCSEs. Sixth Form: Pre-U, A-Levels or IB.
- Campus and facilities: More than 400 years old, a sense of history pervades. The school features outstanding sports facilities including a golf course, tennis courts, hockey pitches and more.
- Noteworthy: In 2020, 61 per cent of its Sixth Form students received an A*-A in their Cambridge Pre-U and A Level results.
3. Eton College
- Ages: 13-18
- Registration: By age 10
- No. of Pupils: 1,300
- Admissions: The ISEB Common Pre-tests and Eton pre-test, plus interview and previous school reports.
- Curriculum: GCSE, A-Levels, and Pre-U examinations
- Campus and facilities: School buildings are periodically modernised according to the school’s development programme. The flagship new facility, The Tony Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning, is dedicated to increased research into neuroscience, new apps and changing technologies. When it comes to sports, a number of pitches accommodate cricket, football, hockey and more, while a gymnasium features sports halls, rooms for weight training, fencing and martial arts, a climbing wall, and a 25m swimming pool.
- Noteworthy: One of the most famous all-boys’ English public schools in the world, Eton College was founded in 1440 by Henry VI. Its alumni include Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as 19 British prime ministers. Eton is one of four remaining single-sex boys’ schools in Britain and emphasises high academic standards, with the success rate for entry into Oxbridge and other top UK universities astonishingly high.
4. Gordonstoun
- Ages: 13-18 for Senior School; 6-12 for Junior School
- Registration: No deadline
- No. of Pupils: Over 500 students combined for both the Senior and Junior School
- Admissions: School’s own exam, plus interview and previous school reports.
- Curriculum: GCSE and A-Levels. A Year 11 one-year GCSE programme launched in 2017, designed for students aged 15 or 16 who are not already in the English academic system. For those who wish to continue their education in the English system, this year will provide an excellent foundation for A-Levels in the Sixth Form.
- Campus and facilities: Set within a safe and beautiful 80-hectare wooded campus in the Scottish Highlands, the school is within easy reach of international airports at Inverness and Aberdeen. New facilities to the campus include a sports centre and a complex for the performing arts that include dance studios, drama rehearsal spaces and a theatre.
- Noteworthy: This boarding school is known for its character-building outdoor education programme that build skills for life. Prince Philip and Prince Charles were both educated here.
5. Harrow School
- Ages: 13-18
- Registration: Year 9: by the end of Year 5 or by May 1 of Year 6. Year 12: September or October of Year 11. Late applicants: May 1 of Year 7. Applicants from Hong Kong are asked to register with Battie Fung at Academic Asia (battie@academic-asia.com).
- No. of Pupils: 820
- Admissions: Year 9: The ISEB Common Pre-tests and school’s own Harrow Test plus interview and references. Year 12: tests in two of four chosen A-Levels during autumn term of Year 11, a subject test, reference, and school reports.
- Curriculum: (I)GCSE and A-Level. The Shell year (Year 9) is a foundation year in which every boy studies a wide variety of subjects, as well as a choice of two languages.
- Campus and facilities: Founded in in 1572, this all-boys, full-boarding school is one of the world’s most renowned. The school grounds cover 300 acres and include conservation areas, a golf course and a working farm.
- Noteworthy: For the 2020 academic results, more than two-thirds of the students received A*-A, with seven students achieving five or more A* grades.
6. The King’s School, Canterbury
- Ages: 13-18
- Registration: Two years before entry
- No. of Pupils: 830
- Admissions: School’s own exam, plus interview and previous school reports.
- Curriculum: GCSE, A-Levels and Pre-U
- Campus and facilities: The school is set across two main sites (the Precincts of Canterbury Cathedral and St Augustine’s) with 13 boarding houses and three day houses spread throughout. A new Science Centre—including seven new physics laboratories, a dedicated science research space, an auditorium, and refurbished biology and chemistry laboratories—is set to open by 2020.
- Noteworthy: The school was founded in 597 CE and aims “to anchor a 21st-century education within the illustrious history of the oldest school in the country.” Each school year culminates in the traditional King’s Week, a festival of music, drama, art, and sporting events.
7. Westminster School
- Ages: 13-18 (boys only from 13-16; co-ed from 16-18)
- Registration: Four years before entry at age 13; between June and the beginning of September the year before at age 16.
- No. of Pupils: 764
- Admissions: For 13+ entry: The ISEB Common Pre-tests at age 10-11; tests in Maths and English plus an interview at age 13 or Westminster School’s scholarship exam, “The Challenge”. The school’s own exam plus interview at age 16.
- Curriculum: (I)GCSE, A-Levels
- Campus and facilities: The school is situated in the heart of London in the precincts of Westminster Abbey, next to the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court. Facilities include a new Sports Hall, a newly renovated science centre, design and technology studios, a purpose-built theatre, and a music centre.
- Noteworthy: Westminster pupils have consistently achieved over 54.5% A* or equivalent in the last 5 years, making it the top performing academic school in Britain.
8. Winchester College
- Ages: 13-18
- Registration: After age 8
- No. of Pupils: 700
- Admissions: ISEB Common Pre-tests, the school’s own tests and interview, depending on the school year that the student is applying for.
- Curriculum: (I)GCSE/GCSE, A-Levels and the school’s own Extended Project Qualification
- Campus and facilities: This all-boys school has more than 80 listed buildings—representing more than six centuries of continuous development— many of which are of national importance and all are in current use. There are extensive grounds of approximately 100 hectares, including 20 acres of playing fields and four acres of formal gardens. The school has an 18-hole golf course, and students are able to enjoy rowing on the River Itchen.
- Noteworthy: The school’s origins can be traced back to 1382. It has existed in its present location for more than 600 years, the longest unbroken history of any school in England.
9. Wycombe Abbey
- Ages: 11-18
- Registration: By June 1 in the calendar year prior to entry.
- No. of Pupils: 640
- Admissions: A Cognitive Abilities Test, the school’s own test and interview at ages 11 and 13; the UK Independent Schools’ Entry Test, school’s own test and interview at age 16.
- Curriculum: GCSE and A-Levels
- Campus and facilities: Wycombe Abbey is set on 170 acres of conservation-listed grounds. Modern, state-of-the-art facilities include the Sports Centre with a 25m indoor pool, the Performing Arts Centre with theatre and recital hall, dance and fitness studios, and extensive sports pitches. There is also a cafe called The Courtyard for both students and visitors.
- Noteworthy: Wycombe Abbey is ranked amongst the top girls’ boarding school in the UK and its GCSE and A-Level results are consistently impressive.
10. St Paul’s School
- Ages: 7-18
- Registration: Registration closes in early October the year before entry; boys are often registered at age 4.
- No. of Pupils: 950
- Admissions: ISEB online pre-tests, school’s own exams and interview.
- Curriculum: (I)GCSE/GCSE, A-Levels, Pre-U
- Campus and facilities: St Paul’s occupies more than 17 hectares of Thames-side property. The campus is unique among London schools for the on-site facilities it offers, ranging from boat club to theatre, a darkroom to cricket pitch and recital hall to design technology workshop.
- Noteworthy: St Paul’s is a boys’ school that was founded in 1509. The original school, which stood in St Paul’s Churchyard, was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and has since been rebuilt twice. Lessons are an intense 35 minutes to t in a two-hour lunch break, allowing pupils time to enjoy extracurricular activities. Almost a third of the school’s pupils go on to Oxbridge, and stellar exam results are a hallmark of the school.
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